Tag Archives: enthusiam

I am currently in Manila with Allen Renquist and Andrew Sullivan. We are here to to thank all our Stop Hunger Now Philippines friends and supporters and take part in the induction of the new Board of Trustees for the organization. We leave here on Sunday to go to Bangalore, India to help facilitate the opening of a new Stop Hunger Now office there.

What should be a totally positive trip has had a pall cast over it for us, especially me. While enroute to the Philippines we learned that Stop Hunger Now friend and supporter, Jordan Guernsey had lost his ongoing battle with cancer. This is a blow to all of us. Jordan was our friend. His life was too short.

What made the news of Jordan’s loss cut even deeper was that the last time Allen and I were in the Philippines Jordan was with us. We were responding to Super Typhoon Haiyan and Jordan was part of our team.

Jordan and I met at the Sundance Film Festival a couple years ago. I spoke at an EO Banquet and he was in the audience. After my presentation he and his lovely wife, Paola, came up to talk. Jordan’s enthusiasm, optimism, and love of life couldn’t be hid. It was immediately obvious the two of us were kindred spirits and reading from the same script.

His first words were, “You are the first speaker I have ever heard that really understands that we really can change the world.” That was Jordan. He had an unwavering belief in the power of living every day to the fullest, doing everything possible to make a real and positive difference in the world, and truly believed that by working together we can end hunger in our lifetime.

We were instant friends. Jordan immediately began supporting Stop Hunger Now, and was instrumental in opening our office in Salt Lake City. The entire time I knew him he was battling cancer, yet he never slowed down in his efforts to impact the needs he saw around him. Financially successful at an early age, Jordan realized the difference between success and significance.

Jordan’s optimism was infectious. His love and compassion were genuine. He understood that by working together we can achieve our shared vision of far better world. And even though his life was too brief by far, Jordan was a hero. He lived his life to the fullest, and he will be missed.